The Worst Type of Criminal in All the Seas (One Piece SI Chapter 1)

I'm here.

"KAAAAAAA!"

I was startled by the sound of seagulls. I looked up to see a flock of them flying about. Not an unusual sight given that this was a port town. Its name was Quickstop.

Yet, for some reason it felt like I heard something that... wasn't a seagull's cry? And not from the seagulls?

Really, it's more like I heard something from somewhere, and the seagulls' cries interrupted that.

Still looking at seagulls flying about wasn't a bad timewaster. Although the box I was carrying was making its weight known, with how my arms were starting to burn.

"Atticus!" My brother's voice drew me back to the present. "Move. Your ass. We're already late as it is, and don't you dare say some bullshit about 'taking your time'."

"Haste makes waste, Gideon." I said as I began walking again with the salmon box.

"That! That right there. Where do you even hear that stuff?" Gideon as he waited till I was next to him so we can begin walking again.

We were carrying fish to our father's smalltime snack shop. Well, food stand, really. He made some of the best fish fillet in town, among other stuff.

"Sailors, where else?" I said, trying to shrug, but the weight of the box made that difficult so I quit.

Gideon sighed and shook his head. "Keep moving, dad's waiting." He walked forwarding in a quicker pace. "And hurry it up, early bird gets the worm, you know."

"...Did you learn that specifically to say it at me?" I said, raising an eyebrow, and got back an annoyed look. Although Gideon was trying really hard not to smirk.

We reached the port market just as people began to pour in, as the sun starting to head toward noon in a few hours.

"Atticus, Gideon." Our father grunted. "You're late. People are already in the market. Something happen? Old Jo chimed about prices?"

"Nah," Gideon said as he put the box down, and I added my own next to it. As practice out of familiarity, we started taking the fishes, and putting them on the table in next to each other. "Air head here, decided he wanted to watch the seagulls."

Dad looked at me with a raised eyebrow. Almost expectantly, like maybe I was taking an interest in hunting. That would expand the business. Or some other idea he had for expanding the stand into a restaurant, but...

"Sorry, got lost in my head. Day dream and what not." I said back with a shrug and dad just sighed.

"Atticus, son, you really need to focus. Even more important to learn it now. Me telling you this might be annoying, but it help you a lot in the future and you'll thank me for it." He said, repeating that lesson that he told me multiple times before.

"Dad... you guys give me a task and I do it." I shrugged, trying not to seem bothered or whiny. "Isn't that enough?"

"You got yourself and your brother late today." He deadpanned.

"We're here now. And besides, people don't eat at our stand this early. They want a full meal, not a snack." I said back.

"Well, we better work hard to make this stand into a shop then." Dad said pointedly. "And that. Requires. Focus." He said, poking my forehead with every word.

"Ow." I pouted.

"Now, chop, chop, you know your roles. Gideon, get the fryer ready, then man the counter. Atticus, get to cutting the removing the fish bones." Dad said, clapping his hands as he said 'chop', and Gideon and I felt into our routine.

He turned on the fryer, and stood at the cashier, ready to call for people to come try our food, once dad had a patch ready. I got the knife and just let my mind wander as I fell into my task.

Cutting up a fish, removing the bones, trying to make the cuts as smooth as possible, and not jaggered so the food would look good. I don't always succeed.

Then I hand the de-boned fish to dad, so he would add flour and spices or whatever before throwing it in the bubbling oil. Rinse and repeat.

Someone, anyone.

My mind ran as my hands worked.

Who am I?

It's a story you likely heard a thousand times.

Guy dies on Earth.

Guy get reincarnated into an anime setting he knew and loved.

Guy goes on grand awesome adventures of epic actions and hot babes.

That's me. Except for the last one.

And it's not like I don't fully want that.

It's that I... don't really care enough to have thoughts like that beyond fantasy and day dreaming.

Heh, reborn in basically The Coolest Anime World, that embodies adventuring, and I'm still the same old me.

But I can't help it. I... just can't bring myself to care.

Because the truth is, special powers or the chance to be some grand epic person, all those characters in anime had something I didn't.

Drive.

They had a goal sure, but more importantly was the will and motivation to strive toward it, even against pain and hardship.

But for me, I didn't change upon reincarnating. I'm just content here.

You'd think I'd have some tragic backstory, or live in some horrible place, or any of the other hundreds of initial motivating circumstances that push the hero on their path, but...

Life is pretty good here in Passer Island. Boring but good.

The island was called that because it was a in a good location for ships to make a pit stop when going to Ilisia Kingdom or Ballywood Kingdom.

I was born here as Miles Atticus.

Miles wasn't my first name. I have no clue why a town with western culture seems to have eastern naming conventions. Actually was there anyone in One Piece that had a western style naming of 'first name, last name'?

...Meh. Anyways, sure my name is pretty cool, but everything about me was normal. Normal kid, normal parents.

Dad's biggest concern was saving up to buy up a restaurant. Gideon wants to help dad, and Mom is looking after our little sister.

Money is good. During rush hour, or when ships stop by and their sailors hop off to rest and restock, business would be booming as hell.

And me? I'm just... fine.

...Yeah, I admit, I do want more out of life but what? Nothing really comes to mind. Nothing compels me to leave the life I have here.

What? Be a pirate? Join Luffy and the pals on their grand adventure? Sure that might be a nice fantasy, but let's be real here. I wasn't born with an innate power or talent. I don't have a Devil Fruit. And I... don't have a reason to risk it all on a giant 'maybe' of what the future could be.

Be a marine? Same thing. Plus the government here was corrupt, too preachy and self-righteous, and absolutely fuck the Celestial Dragons.

More than that, I don't remember the plot.

Look, it's been years since I read One Piece, now a decade since I was born into this world. I vaguely remember some of the overall plot, the main characters, etc.

But the details? The side characters? Nothing. Nada. Mind's blank.

Heck, last thing I remember about the manga was stopping at the arc where Sanji was getting married or something, and then everyone was suppose to head to Wano. I have no fucking clue what happened to make Sanji get married (given anime tropes he was either tricked or pushed into it), and it kinda bothers me that I didn't see Wano at all and what that story line was about, or how it resolved.

So in the end, no power, no motivation and life here was pretty peaceful.

Please.

Who would wanna change that?


Remember us.

I gasped, taking a deep breath as I woke up. I looked at the curtains to see it was still dark outside.

You ever have a dream that's so realistic that you wake up disoriented, thinking it was real? Not realizing it was a dream for a few seconds?

I heard... I dreamt...

"Tsk," I clicked my tongue. Fuck, can't remember.

But I think someone was... crying? Calling? Something.

I got up, feeling restless. I couldn't stay in bed even if I wanted to. I just had to move.

It was still dark out. Everyone was asleep. Streets in the town proper were lit up by lamps.

Our house was on a hillside a bit away. My grandfather or something older built it to have a view of the ocean, and just enjoy nature before venturing into the town.

Please.

There was that feeling again.

Someone, anyone.

It's like there was this energy inside me. I wanted to... move. Walk. Exercise. Just something to get tired so I can go to sleep. The kitchen-dinning room's clock said it was two in the morning.

Sheesh, I barely slept, but I couldn't feel sleepy at all, and I have a wake up early, as usual, tomorrow. Well, technically today.

I tried to sit in bed, but this gnawing feeling in my chest didn't subside.

"Fuck it." I got up and put on some shoes. I'm gonna go walk a bit and tire myself out.

The island relatively isn't that big, it's like twenty hours wide or something, according to my dad. Almost everywhere here was safe, with the jungle having pretty weak-ish animals.

I just got out of the house, and let my legs take me wherever.

Heh. After walking for a bit, a thought came to me. If it was back in my old world, a kid leaving the house for a walk at 2 A.M. would be seen as insane.

Here however in One Piece land, it's expected that kids relatively grow quickly. At least that's been my experience thus far. Maybe it's because people here have a lot of responsibility in their day to day life. They need to get moving, get to work, and kids adopt that attitude, or are given responsibility as part of a family.

Pretty neat compared to my old life. At least I'm learning a skill and doing something in my day to day life, and...

"Huh?" I blinked for a second, my mind snapping back to the present. I don't recognize where I was.

I thought back and... Phew, okay I can still remember the path I took. I looked back, behind me and... yep I still know how to go back.

This grove I found myself in was new. Not as in it suddenly grew out of nowhere, but new in that I didn't notice it before. It went off the path that led to the center city of the island.

I looked at the proper paved road out afar. It was still visible. I looked back and I could still see the road to the port town.

Please hear our story. Remember us.

Yet, I was still too awake and not tired. I still had time to walk and make it back home to sleep before morning.

I continued forward and followed my gut feeling.

I kept walking.

For an hour.

Honestly at this point it was sunk cost fallacy. I don't know why I kept going, but the longer I walked the more I was sure of it. There was this feeling of someone... something being sad. That they were crying, begging for someone to notice them.

I found myself at the foot of the steep mountain side. Up above was a lot of vines and bushes growing on the side of the wall. It would be pretty easy climb up to reach, even for a kid.

Why climb this base of a mountain to reach some vines? Because a voice was calling me. Desperate and pleading for help. Genuine cry for help. The lest I could do was check it out.

I grabbed into the indents and holes in the wall and climbed.

As I expected behind the thick vines was a cave. I slipped between the vines and made my way in. Somehow the cave walls was lit up by the flora around. Most notably were the mushrooms, I remember mom telling me not to eat.

The cave opened up, there were some fruit trees here. One was an apple tree. Not sure why or how it got here, and...

I blinked. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing thing.

"No way."

A large cube-stele of unknown material. Writing on only one side, in a language lost to time.

A Poneglyph.

The voice-No. Voice was completely clear now.

Please remember us. It spoke. The Voice. The memory buried within this ancient object.

Before I noticed I walked toward the Poneglyph till I was right in front of it.

The writing was indecipherable. Beautiful yet ordered in a way. Each script holding multiple meanings.

It was unintelligible to me, but that didn't matter.

Because I understood it all the same. I placed my hand on the cold stone, it 'spoke' to me and-

To you of the future, those who will come after us.

Know that we did all we could to prevent the coming disaster, but soon all lands will be covered in water. I fear people might even forget that this world once held land of such masses, only seas exists.

Oceans had ceased being present for ages, yet it seems our hubris, our blindness to their greed brought our end. Maybe this is nature's revenge. Soon oceans will be all this world knows.

Continent will be submerged, only the land we created will be left. How ironic.

We have only one last light, a seed of hope, the Fruits of our King, the Forever Fool. He who is called the Eternal Student and the Ever Learner.

To you of the future, defy the heavens, defy the order of nature, and consume/inherit our Fruit/Will and carry on our legacy.

The legacy of our Forever Fool is yours should you seek it.

-I fell back, landing on my butt.

And now the Voice was gone. Silent for good.

I tried to listen some more but nothing.

I looked at the ancient script but now but it was just scribbles. Just random pictures without any meaning to me.

I could try to listen, that there is something here. Something more. And while it was in the background, I couldn't pull at it.

"I could hear the Voice of the World-No, wait. It was called the Voice of All Things." The realization slammed into me like lightning. "I can hear the Voice of All Things."

Blood drained from my face. I felt a bit shocked from the realization. A feeling of vertigo came over me for a second before I was okay again.

I felt the cold of the night air more prominently. I felt my heart beating louder in my chest and ears. I felt a grin come to my face-

Before I quickly clamped a hand over my mouth.

"Was I smiling? Am I really smiling? Why am I smiling?" I muttered to myself like a loon.

What was this giddiness inside me?

Was this a sign? A call? Something?

The reality of what just happened slammed harder into me, pushing that feeling of excitement down.

I walked out of my home on a gut feeling. Walked a whole hour and it's gonna take the same time back, all because I couldn't sleep because a big old cube was calling to me.

"What the hell am I doing?"

Wasn't I just content to keep living my life here as usual? To just live as I was, day in and day out. I have no reason to get involved in the plot of One Piece. No investment, nothing.

Yet...

I looked back to the Poneglyph. Recalling the words it 'spoke' to me.

I want to know. The idea, the thought had already taken root in my head. I mean, isn't that one of the biggest mysteries of One Piece.

The Void Century. What really happened to make the world the way it is.

I had the means to find out. I could travel, find Poneglyphs and 'listen' to their Voices them.

The excitement bubbled in my heart once more.

It would be reckless.

I stood up. Looking at the ancient script one more. Even if I don't understand it, the mean and intent is there.

It would be stupid.

Some things were missed though. I may have gotten the meaning and intent from the Voice, but I think some of the details were lost. Maybe if I know how to read ancient script that wouldn't be a problem.

It would be super illegal though.

I would have to leave everything behind. I would have to train to be ready to venture out into the oceans. All four seas. The Grand Line.

This would be a suicidal goal to follow on.

And yet, and yet...

I couldn't stop grinning.

Not for adventure. Not for fame. Not for treasures.

For knowledge. For the mystery.

"I'm going to find out the truth." I decided. "I will unveil the Void Century." That would be my goal, my self-imposed mission from now on.

I had no idea where to start. There were so many things I need, or preparations I have to make, just to start to be ready.

"I need to train, I need-!"

Suddenly a new Voice appeared to me. I looked around for the source.

And landed on the apple tree.

The tree... whose one of it's fruits now was Devil Fruit.

"Wha...? How?" What are the odds?

No, seriously, what are the odds? Someone just happened to die at this moment in time, and their Fruit manifest itself here?

The fuck?

I walked toward the Fruit. The apple tree's branches are pretty low. It's easy to just jump up and pluck it down.

I held the Fruit in my hand, looking at it's swirls, feeling it's texture. I... couldn't exactly describe what holding it felt like. I was too distracted by the Feeling I was getting from it. A sense of acknowledgment.

"This is it, isn't it?" That feeling like taking a step I can't take back. That I was crossing a line I can't return from.

If I eat this, I was committed. Up till this point I could turn back. Maybe just put in some token effort in training, and then tell myself years down the line that I tried, but didn't do my best, and lost my chance.

I looked at the Fruit with trepidation.

I thought back to my life thus far. It's a good life wasn't it?

I could imagine myself living as I was each day till I'm old, and die in my bed. It would be a simple life. A safe life. There's nothing wrong with that...

I bite down on the Fruit, I pushed through the horrid taste.

I can't remember if it's only a bite, or the whole thing. So I ate the whole thing.

Fuck not being able to swim, this is the punishment for eating a Devil Fruit.

With a final gulp I pushed down the last of the Fruit and waited.

...Should something have happened?

I walked around, trying to get a feeling my body now. I didn't feel different.

But who knows how this ability will manifest. I took one last look at the Poneglyph, and walked toward the entrance covered in vines.

Poneglyphs were made of indestructible material, right? So I can use it as a training bag. ...That wouldn't be disrespectful, right?

I immediately noticed the sky brightening.

"Shit."

I quickly climbed down, and began to run back to the village. I had to make it back to at least be there for when my family woke up. Man, it's gonna be so annoying not getting enough sleep but-

The world zoomed around me. Moving incredibly fast, even thought I could still perceive it.

I quickly stopped running.

That was a mistake, as my momentum kept going forward and I slammed and slid into the ground for a while.

"OOOOOW!" I cried out. "Fuck! What was that?" I quickly stood up brushing away all the dirt and sand on me.

It was like the knowledge seeped into my head, now that I experienced the power of the Devil Fruit.

Kiin Kiin no Mi. Speed-Speed Fruit.

"Heh," my grin returned. "Huraahahahaha!" My shoulder shook as couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Of all Fruits. Of all powers.

"Oooooh fuck yeah."

To all the Cipher Pol dudes. Cope. Seethe. And mald.

Six Power? I'm gonna be the name that's one everyone's breath when those are mentioned.

It took me ten minutes of continuous running to get back home. I even had time for a long nap.


I wonder if it's destiny or my decision that caused this.

I mean logically what I'm seeing was gonna happen regardless of my choice for lifelong goals.

But almost as if the world was turning and setting things into motion, the very next day after found the Poneglyph and ate the Speed-Speed Fruit, I found a girl, trying and semi-failing to look inconspicuous while walking through Quickstop.

Nico Robin. Yes, she was a, well, not chibi, but pre-teen. I really need to write down what I remember of the canon timeline. She was wearing a raggy coat to cover her head and body.

Okay, pre-teen Robin, and on the run, so this was after Ohara. I should start reading the newspapers more diligently from now on.

Also-Uh oh.

"Hey, young girl."

Some young woman-Miss Rarie? I think was her name-noticed Robin all by her lonesome. For now she looked like a concerned adult, seeing a young child alone.

I remember at least how Robin was treated as a child traveling around. It was hell on her. There was no one she could trust and people turned to greed upon meeting her.

Yeah, gonna have to put a stop to that.

I looked around to make sure no one was looking and...

"Are you okay? Are you los-"

SMACK!

"HEEEK!" Miss Rarie screamed upon feeling hand, palm smack into her ass.

"Mr. Howard, how could you!" I cried out, before disappearing with a burst of speed once more. No one saw me, so they would think some random kid shouted that.

The poor guy looked around confused, as Rarie turned to him with murder in her eyes.

Robin was looking around in confusion, before she found herself sudden carried away, and quickly moving away from the town center and building.

"Hold on, it would be bad if you fell while I'm going at this speed." I tried to say reassuringly to the girl in my arms.

"W-Who are you? What do you want with me? No, put me down or I'll..." Robin tried to say with a glare.

Huh. Kid Robin is kinda adorable. Not like a suave femme fatal she grows up into.

"Please, don't try anything. I'm helping you, and more importantly, I literally just got this power yesterday and still learning how to stop. Right now I need to slow down a lot before coming to a full stop."

"Wait, what?" Robin's eyes widened, her face paled as she now tightened her hold on me.

"Also, you should really work on a better disguise. Have you considered shaving your head and eyebrows so people can't identify you?"

"What?"

I have a feeling that's a 'no'.

AN:キーン (Kiin). Onomatopoeia for a piercing ringing noise. The onomatopoeia of a Formula 1 speeding by, or an airplane flying by.